A terrific resource that contains lots of other resources and information. If you only read one book on menopause and perimenopause, make it this one! ( )

nonfiction, women's and AFAB health - a freelance writer provides her own experiences (hot flashes, incontinence, a little brain fog) with tons of input from noted menopause experts and the occasional inspirational menopausal quote from various persons of note.

very readable and a quick read, with tons of good information from multiple experts in the field (including a menopause skincare dermatologist, if you're interested). Not a complete guide to everything menopause, but an excellent place to start and it includes so much that the author hopes will be helpful to readers in getting the support that they might need and definitely deserve--don't miss the resources in the back, including where people might find support from peers (redhotmamas.org, menopausecafe.net), doctors (menopause.org, augs.org, blackdoctor.org, myalloy.com) and research institutions (nccih.nih.gov, swanstudy.org)--and lower-cost therapists (openpathcollective.com, apsa.org), as well as "Reliable Websites for Health Information" (medline, etc. - always a good reminder!)

I liked that it also talked about the ways that the body changes post-menopause, so readers can take note of what additional risks (osteoporosis, heard disease, etc.) might run in their families and what they can do in perimenopause and beyond that may help ensure a better quality of life (as well as prevent serious injury due to inevitable falls/accidents). Note to self: you can't grow new capillaries (or muscle mass fed by such capillaries?) and most likely will lose a significant amount of bone density after menopause arrives, so now would be a great time to increase exercise closer to those recommended levels (30 min.-1hr per day, esp. weight-bearing activity and maybe some strength training); also consider taking 1200mg/day calcium (ages 13-70, pref. mostly through food) and 600 IU vit.D. (ages 50-70), with 1000-2000 IU being a typical recommendation for supplements). Also, the perimenopause transition can apparently make people more susceptible to gum disease, so it'd be a good idea to floss more often.

also recommended: Gabrielle Union's You Got Anything Stronger? for her personal story on her serious depression and suicidal thoughts brought on by perimenopause (a symptom that hardly anyone ever talks about yet affects so many people and definitely deserves more attention). Gabrielle is really entertaining and has a lot of other good stories besides. ( )